Southside Social being sued over copyright infringement claim

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A popular Chattanooga establishment is in legal hot water.

Southside Social on Chestnut Street is being sued by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)

ASCAP filed the lawsuit in the Eastern Tennessee Federal District Court in Chattanooga, alleging that Southside Social has been playing music that they hold the licenses to for use in public venues such as a restaurant.

They say that Southside Social has refused to pay an annual licensing fee to access over a million songs, which they say on average is about $750 per year since 2019.

ASCAP went on to say that after constant refusal to pay for licensing, they caught the bar playing some copyrighted music such as “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle, on August 9, 2023, among other songs.

They say this infringement of copyright hurts the artists they represent.

“For many of ASCAP’s members, the royalties they receive from ASCAP is their primary source of income,” said Jackson Wagener, the Senior Vice President for Business and Legal Affairs for ASCAP. “So, it’s how they put food on the table, pay rent, and put their kids through school. So, when those royalties are denied to them, it is a substantial hardship to their day-to-day ability to make a living.”

News 12 reached out to Southside Social for comment on this story. They declined to do so.